Will Gregory and Alison Goldfrapp have always deliberately existed on the exquisite fringe of their songwriting craft. Whether they were delving into the film noir orchestrations on their first album Felt Mountain or the Studio 54 disco haze of hits from We Are Glitter or Black Cherry or exploring the furthest reaches of synth pop baroque electro on Supernature, there’s always been an element of surprise and surrealism in their work. The latest album, Seventh Tree, goes out on another kind of limb, albeit a quieter one. This album strives to get closer to its listeners with introspective lyrics and a relaxed, back to nature, quasi-spiritual vibe. Songs like “Caravan Girl” verge on the epic giddiness of a Sgt. Pepper-period Beatles or the get happy choir logic of The Polyphonic Spree. But of course, a good Goldfrapp album never remains on the same plane from song to song and there are plenty of peaks and valleys here. Songs like “Cologne Cerrone Houdini” hearken back to the duo’s Felt Mountain days with that cool, James Bond-like vibe of yore, this time with added melatron and kitchy keyboards for another nouvelle 60′s twist. Alison Goldfrapp’s voice is stripped of all its usual icy distance in songs like “A&E” and the edgy-titled but cooing “Eat Yourself”, both that may be described as, gasp, warm and cozy. (Mute) –Madeline Virbasius-Walsh

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